How did eyes of the world end up at such a blistering pace this night? I get there was some issues going on with Brent but Jerry launched into that eyes at breakneck speed and it doesn't let up. It's just so very strange to hear. Gotta give Jerry his due he nailed all the 16ths but for what reason and to what end?

3 stars we all know why

I’m surprised more didn’t mention how Jerr comes onto stage, forgoes space, and dives into a mellow GDTRFB solo to rescue Brent. It’s a beautiful gesture.
These guys rarely bailed each other out. “Missing lyrics? You figure it out” But tonight, Garcia runs up on stage and lays down tracks to an old standard that seems to calm Brent.

So I was at the two previous BCT shows, had a great time, but missed this one. Regarding this show, it has MANY warts throughout and there is plenty of blame to spread around beyond Brent. I sort of agree with the poster below that this show is rotten to the core. Some (not many) of them just were.

While maybe not Brent’s finest hour, he was an extremely solid member of this band and consistently added great keys and singing for over a decade. RIP Brent, it was all downhill after you were gone....

all I gotta say is @slipknotfeb1977, to say Brent couldn't hold a candle to Keith, wtf are you smoking (and listening to)? Keith in 78 was so bad, I don't think he strayed out of the middle two octaves on his keys for his final 6 months with the band. Brent saved the Dead in the late 80's, even Garcia would tell you that the band was gelling and going in an incredible direction from around 87 until July 90, and that losing Brent was basically the end.
I know it's murrica, and we're all entitled to our own opinions, but piss off- Brent was a GOD on the keys.

Brent was and sounds and angry, we've all been there. He sounds fine as soon as GDTRFB happens.I went to a bunch of the easties that spring and the band seemed totally lost as if they had forgotten there own songs see 4 4 86 etc. The band seems to have rebounded nicely once they got some sleep and went home. Brent needed assistance and the band probably just shrugged. Its a fascinating show.

The so-called "Brent meltdown" show has become a curiosity. There's the backstory of his marriage dissolving and that he gave a drunken performance (though given his progressively worse state there were probably other favors of some sort). When you live the majority of your time on a stage in a band that consumes your entire life, eventually all sides of you will surface on that stage, including tearful emoting from something that bottoms you out. Either way, this particular night is now part of the lore. I imagine he played hungover the next night. But there's more than that going on in this show - in particular, lightning tempos. All of the SBDs run 2%+ fast (almost a whole key in places), so you need to run some software BEFORE you can listen to the show objectively. Even then, the tempos are the fastest since '78.

In '86 Jer was out from July to December (an abscess triggering a diabetic coma will do that - and it's amazing he came back even then) so it's kind of a lost year. But this meme that the mid-80s had no good shows is a patently ridiculous notion. Sure, '86 was no '87 (which was a brilliant year - one of the best), but for top '86 shows check the Cal-Expo shows right after these (I think it's May 3 that's great) and also the New Year's run. So I'm not hashing on '86.

This is widely known as a 1-star show and it's an example of the band when they're off. But it's also good at illustrating how the band could spin top moments out of nothing. The 3rd of a four-day run, it's the last time they played the Berk high school theater. Given the weirdly brisk tempos, there may have been a lot of bumps backstage, but this Persian meme has gotten out of hand and there's wide misperception about Jer and opiates ("but I read it on the internet, braaaak!"). There's no such thing as 'persian' per se, it was just the Dead's inner-circle name for dope - regardless of origin. Maintenance dope users aren't "in a stupor". The dope stabilizes and prevents withdrawal - plus a sluggish Jer would have just bumped. This was a year after he cleaned himself up and the band were said to be watching him too closely for that.

First Set. Average to below average set. El Paso has fire but Bobby loses his place. On the other extreme, Ramble on Rose clunks and creaks. Let it Grow is a fine example of the band trying hard and bringing things back around. A fine-enough, clean version that saves the set from outright trainwreck.

Second Set. Touch of Grey is in the uptempo '86 stylee, here even faster, which means it wrecks hard when it goes off the rails. You can hear Bobby trying to save it but Brent's becoming a mess and takes Jerry with him. Estimated just sounds off, again due to Brent. Jer tries to over-sing him, and it actually smokes from the middle onward. I know of no Eyes faster than this one (even when played back at the right speed). It's worth hearing but at this tempo there's less they can do with it (it's hard for Bobby to do more than single string fretting and doubles stops). The fun is in listening to Jer rise to the challenge with flurries of 16ths. Very few guitarists could have done this! Average but for the uniqueness. The jam-after apparently featured Mickey's Berimbau-ist friend, Jose Lorenzo. However, the drummers don't have chance to do their thang because Brent stays out with them until he veers them into his Maybe You Know. The only one after the 5 in Apr83, it's out of character for the Dead. The song never developed and after this maudlin hiccup it was definitively put to bed. The drummers vamp, befuddled (as Brent ignores any defined rhythm) and the boys must have been wincing, because rather than wait for Drums>Space to emerge, the axemen all run out and Jer launches into a perfect Goin' Down the Road. This is an interesting example of the bright spot that suddenly gelled in the midst of bad shows. Jer just pushes his chips all in and wails. Sometimes it could just all fit together again, as Bobby and Billy are prone to pointing out in interviews. Unfortunately, that's it. Around isn't the least bit tight and by Dough Knees Jer is losing his voice.

1st Set: &nbspD+
2nd Set: F+
Overall = 1½ Stars

Highlights:
Goin Down the Road - One of the best of '86 in the middle of compost! That and the wild, uptempo, gotta-hear-once Eyes are the reason I'm claiming this is more than a one-star show. As far as "meltdown", that's probably more legend than accurate descriptor.

SOURCES: I find miller_34765 to be best followed by jeffm_1857 and miller_34766. The SBDs (and the AUDS I've checked) all run like helium at 2 - 2½% fast. You can slow the miller_34765 by 2% to hear what the show really sounded like.

If you offer this as an all-time best, 5-star show then we would like to see your examples of 2 and 3-star shows (n. b. smgarcia, below, says there's no worse show and then gives it 3 stars, apparently reserving 2 stars for the boot of Billy gapping at an interview and 1 star for the tape of Jer's sleep apnea). For the ratings feature to, you know, WORK, there need to be shows like this for there to be 5* shows. That's how the known universe works.

Love this era...we can appreciate the best shows by listening to the less than stellar offerings. Really thankful for this effort!

So what if this isn't the greatest GD show in the archive. So what if this show isn't your cup of tea.
So what if you like Keith and hate Brent.
So what if they had an 'off' night.
So what if they tooted a little too much backstage.

Maybe... Just MAYBE...

You might want to consider who's going to write a review above yours before pissing in someone's cornflakes.

As bad as it gets. Allow me to put things into perspective. A reviewer here wrote: "If we're going to knock Mydland, why not bash Kieth for the late 70s shows where he was so out of it he need a roadie to poke him to stay awake? Why give Jerry a pass on his frequently embarassing and inept showings '94-'95?"

The answer to that question, is one that very few Brent fans can empathize with. The fact of the matter is that people who don't like 80s Dead don't like it, because the very sound of his voice ruins their listening experience. And the very sound of his keyboards, with the occasional exception of the B3 ruins their listening experience. He's the wrong guy for the band. Nobody cares that "Jerry loved playing with him". They care that Jerry and Co broke up a fantastic band by kicking out one of the most beloved members the band ever had (Keith). I'd rather here a less involved Keith than an over-involved Brent. His vocals on all of the old songs just ruin it. It's a travesty. When you're used to the perfection of the band up until really 1978, at which point they're all off the charts wild and out of sync (not just Keith, though he's been scapegoated by his own people), there's just nothing but resentment to hear the absolute dud they replaced him with. I understand his voice clicks with some people, but Jerry and Bobby's voice click with all Deadheads. And that's the great mistake that was made. They went and involved a man in a legacy of music that was unappealing to at least 50% of the audience, probably more. This is why 80s shows don't sell as well, and why Dave rarely picks them. And people take this out on Brent because they pine about what could have been. What if they all went to rehab in '79 and hashed out a real plan, instead of circling the wagons and squeezing out the guy who helped put you on the map throughout the 70s. And that's really it. Brent is resented for sucking so badly. They should have taken a year off in '79 and let Keith play his f@#king piano. Of course he numbed out - Jerry brought a 2nd drummer into the mix and decided to be a crappy rock band instead of the fusion juggernaut they became. Then Jerry told him he couldn't play piano, he had to play with sustain. Well (scratching head), Jerry, let me let you in on a little secret (whispering) he's a piano player:) So...yeah, Brent is maligned because he doesn't hold a candle to his predecessor musically, and his voice is despised by a lot of Grateful Dead fans.

First of all let me thank all of you for what you do to bring the music back to the community years after it's come and gone - I have hours and hours lined up for the foreseeable future, and that's a beautiful thing.


Can ANYONE point me in the direction of the video of this show? I'd really appreciate - there's a lot going on here, I'd just like to see it, you know?


Sincerely James

I was there . I was staying at Barrington for a time and found myself able to attend all of the shows. Fist show was at 2:00 pm, 2nd 4:00 pm, and 3rd was at 7:00 . or something like that. Orchestra pit!The lost week was complemented with one of the famous wine dinners that Barrington Hall threw.

This show is rotten to the core. Brent showed how much he sucked this night and no matter how much he tried, he could not lock down that bluesy raspy thing that other people could do. The keys sound terrible and all that moaning on maybe you know just sounds plain and simple horrible. They say he had a meltdown but why did every night sound like a meltdown. Like toxic waste land dump meltdown. They were probably thinking they should have picked Bruce Hornsby here because Hornsby could play and was waaaay better at MIDI then this clown of an ass Brent. I never liked Brent and thought he should've been fired after this one. I'd have said, Hey buddy, I don't care about your crazy life, you bring the music or pack your bags. A waste of a Dead show. They'd have done better opening for Phil Collins on this night, cuz he sounded better anywas.

Emotions get the best of us, including when we rate shows. The music, for the most part, is pretty on. The vocals could use some work here and there. If it weren't for the undue negativity, my rating would've been four stars. Thanks to the band, the fans, and as always, the tapers.

I agree with Early 80's on his assessment of the years of this band.83, 84 and 85 and will include 82 also were smoking almost all of it maybe a down show or 2 but for most part was ripping.I don't get the Jerry Persian bashing.. Ever been to the dentist and enjoy the percocets after. I would willing to bet 75 out a 100 people would tell you they loved a few perc's and beers,even common folk. Point being i think we rag on these guys drug use and drinking to much.Why are we here?Because we loved them LOVED big time. If anyone of the bashers were ever in the presence of Jerry or Brent would you be so quick to say something along the lines of.(you guys could of played much better if off the booze or Persian) I doubt it. We are all fans of this amazing band. After the fact playing Monday morning quarter back.
That all being said I am not ragging on anyone person here so please understand it's just my thoughts on a bunch of fellow human beings we happen to love. Day in and day out. If we did not why would be here to begin with. Chances are we are all here for the same reason because we loved the music and the scene.
I happen to be about 30 feet from stage during Brent's hiccup.Someone said earlier how Jerry and the boys came running out to his rescue,that is so true I never saw them run out onto the stage like that before or after.
Lets give the persian' jerry' drugged out stupor a BREAK WE LOVED THESE GUYS DIDN'T WE???I FOR SURE DID AND STILL DO
This show was alot of fun.

Lots of controversy here, so I'll try to keep it short. The first set is really quite bad in my opinion; the lengthy impromptu instrumental on El Paso is a nice surprise, but most of the rest is tough to take: very tired-sounding. Set 2 is far more interesting. I actually like what Brent did on Estimated Prophet a lot here, and whatever one might say about his "meltdown," he seemed to shake the others up on a night when they needed it badly (Dew, despite the missed notes near the end, smokes); for that he deserves credit.

As for the "meltdown": it's a bit overplayed. Would that this were the worst public "meltdown" in my life. I've had worse in the last 24 hours! And if Weir's allowed to screech at the top of his lungs in an effort to inject a little life into the proceedings, I don't see any reason why Brent shouldn't be allowed to do the same, for whatever reason.

This is the kind of show that exemplifies the greatness of this band and the uniqueness of this experience. Most bands and artists allow only their "best" shows out into the world; The Dead encouraged us to preserve all of theirs. I think The Dead's policy is much more honest and honorable, and I think most of us would agree on that.

But it's not always going to be comfortable. These guys lived so much of their lives on the road and on stage, after all. In a celebrity-saturated world, we have a tendency to take a "ho-hum" attitude toward the latest divorce news. But it's not ho-hum, and Brent was living that nightmare at this time. His outlet was music, and this show allows us to share in it with him, at least for a few moments. It may be painful, but it's real...

Having read all the comments, and investigated the political agenda of "eyesofthewird" - the "wird"??? - I am impressed by the community, and stunned by the evil of those who would attack the community.

The cruel and malicious remarks of a political operative, attempting to associate the terms "Grateful Dead", "Brent Mydland", and "Rex Foundation" with an explosive, automatic-guilt laden term in Internet search engines was met with disbelief by some commentarians - as if it were some mistake of thoughts. No, it was deliberate.

Yes friends, the remark was not an accident, but an attempt by a political operative to establish a negative link in search engines.

Appropriate action has been taken to remedy the situation. "eyesofthewird" has been shocked to learn just how many people LOVE the kind, honest, and patriotic message of the GD.

Brent played great in this show until the combination of a pretty "down" playlist, and his huge marital problems, got to him. Listen to the music. He was doing great through most of the show, until he couldn't hold back the pain any longer.

My main complaint with this show is the LOW LEVELS of the recording. Yes, the weather report was clearly "stoned tonight, at least through dawn" for the entire band - since when has that hurt the sound?

The poster of the hateful propaganda has only made two other posts on the Internet under the aforementioned handle; one here and one on the Moody Blues website - both lead to sleazy commercial websites with ties to ultra-religious right and gambling adware sites.

Stay in touch.

my heart just broke listening to Brent, He had so much love to give, It hurt me to hear how much he was hurting, I want to give him a hug and let him know we love him.

The NFA repise to me, is a way the boys told Brent " we got you Brother"

I am very thankful for the all the YRS the boys have gave us, and grateful we still get to be part of something bigger than all of us. It makes me sick to see ppl talk smack about one of our own, when clearly he was reaching out for help.

Thank you Boys for everything you have gave me.
RIP Brent, we will never forget you

maybe you know...

i was moved... there is is REAL emotion god bless brent. I think it was awesome. Maybe you know how i feel.

"maybabuira-im-feelin'"

Lol uh, what exactly does a pedophile sound like? Maybe if I could tell by the voice, when looking for a house I wouldn't have to look for those signs they make sex offenders put in their front yards so I know which ones to stay away from.

cant believe all the shit talking from "heads" goes to show just because youre a grateful dead fan dont mean you have a heart felt love for music and people, seems to me as each year passes some of the spirit goes with it.. very sad .. iwill carry the joy the "boys" brought into my life, and the world until they come to drag my poor body down...hope you will do the same R.I.P.and L.I.P.

Let the music take you there. Listen to some of Brent's intricacies during Estimated. This was a really great show. These men have lived their whole lives on stage. If they cry, the music cries with them, and in the case of this particular show, there are such moments. The feeling is there -- all of it. Plus, I've never heard Estimated performed with this flavor of counterpoint before. Each band member gets a star here, so do the math.

I don't understand why they don't let people downloadf this show. For all the Brent haters, I thought this was one of the gratest. So it's all relative. Can anyone tell me why they only stream this show? Is it a Dick's Pick or something?

on this day brent did not stand alone. many of us shared his relief and were heartened by his fury.

This was long after my "Dead days" were over, but from what I know and have read, Brent's marriage was fading. Having in that situation, it's not a fun thing and will make you over-indulge in various drugs/alcohol. I think that is what this show exemplifies. It's sad...if you look at videos of him from here until he passed, you can just see him go downhill in every sense. What a great talent lost. RIP Brent. May God look after you and your children.

I thought that Brent's emotional intensity was really powerful and touching and when he sings Maybe You Know is sounds cathartic.
In an earlier post Reviewer: muchabrats wrote about a weird voice signature during the jam. I notice it fading in and out from 3:30 until 6:30, but it is especially prominent at 5:52 and 6:14. It sounds like the word "scamming" or something similar repeated over and over. It has to be electronic. Does anyone know what it is?
It may not be great, but it is so interesting that I play it over and over since I heard it on Sirius.

I dunno, I just listened to this show because David Gans was featuring it on the Sirius Dead channel and I missed some of it... I read all your reviews and got the backstory. Yeah there's definitely a little off key singing and totally wrong notes during the show, but the impromptu Jam and Maybe You Know was pretty moving for me, Brent's pouring his heart out, cursing and slurring all the way! He's so broken up he doesn't even want to leave the stage, he just wants to get lost in the music. Give the poor guy a break. Sure not a 5 star show, but you guys are just too harsh!

Someone wrote to listen to this show for the comedy of it. There is nothing funny about a man who was going to pieces because his personal life had been shattered by a failing marriage. I agree with others about Garcia. He could fall asleep standing up(really nodding) and some assholes would give it 5 stars just because it was Garcia...Fuckin' low blow goin after Mydland

I like finding "bombshell" shows on BOTH sides of the spectrum, but this one, it's not so bad. I'd give it a two and a half, but you can't so two.

This is about as "average" a show as you will find.

Care to debate it?:

deadheadlooser@hotmail.com

the point being, I hate people defending EVERY show as "five stars" because it AIN'T SO! Even Jerry said he got pissed when everybody ate everything they threw at them, no matter what the quality. The Morning Dew was nice- the jams were decent. I give the sound quality a four, btw, but the show- 2.5 stars (so ..) two stars because it's closer to "bad" than "average". Peace.

The timing of Morning Dew after Brent's "supposed" meltdown is ironic. "Thought I heard a baby cry today..." I don't mean baby like a spolied brat baby. Brent was definitely crying during his song. Not with tears - but with emotional pain - just getting it all out. Yeh, it happened to be in front of a ton of people...but so be it. Brent's keys sounded pretty good throughout the show. God bless Brent for adding an extra flare of music to our lives.

I didn't listen to the whole show; I just played that song after reading Dennis McNally's account of the meltdown. Yes, it would have been awkward for the band, but you know, I don't recall ever hearing such raw pain in a singer's voice in a live performance before or since. He conveyed a heartbreak that Hank the Great or Janis (pbuh) would have been proud of. That it wasn't an act, but a genuine outpouring of emotional devastation, makes it even more compelling.

I know what it is to want to scream and beat my head against a solid object from having your life fall apart. That's what I hear in Brent. His marriage was trashed, he was trying to anesthetize himself with ethanol in various flavors, and he just lost it on stage. Show me any divorced man who hasn't had a snootful and lost it in the same way (although most of us don't have a stadium full of people to witness it). His friends came to his rescue, and the band played on. And when he got his shit together again (as far as he ever did), his place in the band was still there.

It hurt to hear, but I can't sneer at it. It was the real McCoy.

OK, Brent was, all in all, the best keybaord player the Dead ever had, Pig did great on organ, Keith great on piano, Brent was a triple threat: Hammond B-3, piano, synthesizer. Bretn knew how to really lay down an atmosphere, a colorful texture, a magic carpet that the band could soar on. His Hammond B-3 work is some of the best I've ever heard from anyone, anywhere, EVER! He had problems and compounded them with alcohol (not a smart move), and other stuff, and he melted down onstage during Maybe You Know (maybe you already know...). Nevertheless, the sound the band had around this time period (early and mid '80s), AND the weird, funky stuff going on with Jerry, Brent, andBob was surely no angel either, made for some great art. Brent was the real deal. I wish he would have married a more understanding or nurturing or compatible wife... though I don't know her, I have seen the pain a woman can consciously cause a man... (they can be crueler and meaner than men by a long shot!!!), and Brent sang out his blues on stage. Isn't that what we wanted from our artists? REAL pain, REAL emotion? A white man can't have the blues? B.S. Brent was a bluesman, and he rocked!!! OK, that's all. God bless Brent!!!

oh my god, brent was off ONE night out of a thousand?

at times it's a hard listen, as others have said, and the maybe you know trainwreck is for amusement purposes only but the way some of you go on you'd think he singlehandedly decimated the grateful dead.

the sad part is, i've heard worse.

now as penance you must listen to 10/28/85, 10/29/85 in their entirety and listen to the tasteful accentuation of Brent, baby. rest in peace, i love you.

This is not exactly the best Dead show ever. There are a fair ammount of mistakes... most of them due to Brent being incredibly messed-up on something durring the second set. That said, it is also incredibly unique in that it's a Brent-era show without Drums/Space which includes a performance of a pretty rare song. The rest of the show also features some good song choices. I have no complaints other than the performances being a bit... raw.

I actually think this show is pretty essential listening, just becausee it's interesting (for me at least) to see the band dealing with one of its members being on a slightly different track from everyone else. Hell, it's pretty amaazing stuff to see the Rhythm Devils keep up with Brent's constant changes in tempo durring the portion of the show that should technically be theirs. So while this definately isn't a great show and you probably won't want to re-listen to it, it's also pretty fun to check out... out of morbid curiousity if nothing else.

RIP Brent. He was the best all-around keyboardist the Dead had. This might not be his best hour, but it's one of his more interesting moments for sure.

If you know, that was a really bad day for Brent, as his marriage was falling apart big time. And though his rambling "Maybe you know" even confused the drummers, it was a special night. Jerry saw it, came out, helped Brent finish the song, then passed on drums/space and went into "GDTRFB". I know that I have had too many drunkin' nights myself, it would have been great to have Jerry come and help me out. I met Brent not long after this at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, when Go Ahead was touring during Jerry's coma. He had a Heineken in hand and as he left he took the time to talk to me and my friend at length. I was really impressed. I also always loved his singing. I miss him to this day. Thus my first son, (8 years old now) is named Brent. So everyone, just back off, he played many, many, great songs, and also breathed a new life into the Dead when they really needed it.

I've listened to parts of this show so far and Brent is really awful. I cannot think of a worse show, perhaps the Campolindo High School show of the late 60's, where the Dead play at a high school gym and screw up several songs. Brent sounds like a dying, wailing goat on Estimated Prophet. After drums he sounds like he is going to die.

There is something to his madness. I can't profess to say that he was great this show, but just listen to Estimated Prophet. He is just horsing around during the jam part, playing spacey, star trek Klingon-type music around the 9:30 mark. Earlier in Estimated Prophet he plays the same 2 low keys over and over, and at first it sounded really cool. But that is the only thing he plays.

Brent is in his own world that day. I'm surprised Weir didn't pull the plug on this keyboard. But I think this show is something worth having. There are bad dead concerts where someone's voice is off, notes are misplayed, but in every one of those shows the guys are trying. Here, Brent is just fucking around and not even trying to keep the beat or play on the same chord. His music is quite puzzling. That's why I think this is worth a download - because this is what happens when a band member just doesn't try.

wow...just...wow...Brent's vocals all over this (especially on 'Estimated Prophet') are just horrible...he sounds like straight up shit. the 'Maybe You Know' meltdow is a serious train wreck. poor guy. the rest of the band sounds pretty tight though.

"Maybe you know", what's going on with brent, but you really don't! Pretty ironic that it was played that night, don;t yo think. I love brent's playing in this show. His keys are turned up and it sounds like candy cane keys. I remember hearin the Deolaton row, Ramble on Rose and Let It Grow on the Dead Hour years ago. I thought to myself, that keyboard player sounds awesome. His singing may worsen as the show goes on. But there is a lot of great key action on brent's part in this show.

'86 wasn't one of their greatest years. Maybe You Know isn't exactly good, but after reading some of these reviews I was suprised. Bob and Jerry mess up way more than Brent, and I don't see people saying "oh he sucks what a drunk omg pedophile". Give me a break. Brent had troubles too, just like the rest. He just didn't have a very good night, you don't need to emotionally beat him to the ground for it...

Sorry folks- these were bad years and this show is just more proof. Jerry is smacked out and his voice is like nails on a chalkboard; his gutitar playing comes and goes. As a whole the '83 tours were anything but "smokin'", unless you are referring to Garcia's consumption of Persian. This was the period where he really lived a drugged out stupor; there were some good shows- even a few great ones - but no consistantly great tours. He does sort of bail Brent out here, much to his credit.

Buddy the 83 tour is so smokin its sick. Especially april 83. I love 84 some of the sickest jams and hart felt ballads. There are a few off nights in 84 and more pre coma in 86. 1985 was blow out those Nassau and Cumberland shows were white hot. The Spectrum run were the the shit. Jerry and the boys were like a steam locomotive ROLLIN HARD that last night. The 3 song opener was about as good as your gonna get- what do you want? Midnight Hour>Walkin the Dog>Big Boss Man is so killer-love his solo in Big boss. The Greeks,Alpine were the bomb. The Mid West run in Ohio both stops were again killer. Merriweather was the best run at that venue. Same for Saratoga love that High time. Although I prefer 83 at both of those venues. Hrd to say that 83 Merriweather was perfect. Fall 85 was pretty dam good too but I like the first part of the year better. She belongs to Me only played in '85 love that tune. It's so sweet with beatiful those solos an hypnotic jams.The epitomy Garcia.(i like the Chula version and that Fire) As far as 1986 I agree with the shows being spotty Jerry was getting tired unhealthy relapsed again after gettin clean in spring and had some kind urinating problem and was having to leave the stage during songs at various shows and missing songs entirely. The come back shows are fun in Dec. were really cool. When I think spotty, I think post Brent. From Vince on with moments of brillance. The 70's 73-74 were killer exploratoy young Dead and Obviously the 77 run is top notch peak Dead. If I had to pick a favorite year or tour mine would be 1989. That peak as good as it gets in my book. Ive listened to it from tape trading days untill now so much just like '77. I enjoy really diggin in 83-85 the most. Not huge on 76 and 78 so I dig into fall 79 and 1980 summer is sweet. Any way we all have are favorites and to be honest I love all of it but like everything some better than others. In the case of the Dead 83-85 I feel is some of there best stuff Junkie Jerry lost it from 70's not as good as 82. Thats non sense the 83 got better than the previous year. It may not have that sterile dood ole grateful Dead late 70's feel to it. In ending since were talking spotty. In 83 I would say they took a dip in the late summer tour leg. I stay away of the Frost shows no where 82,84 and 85 runs at that beatiful venue. I don't have my Dead base in front of me but Portland was kind of weak right around then. With exeption of that Deep Elem and Seatle wasn't the best. Iam also big on Hult in 84 and these are a killer rebound from late summer run. If your not familar with the Poplar Creek shows check those out lots of energy and fun to listen to. Not saying best of 83 but real good I like the Stranger and Brown Eyed both crackling with energy. No need to mention but I will the Help bust out and of coarse St Stephen. Practicly the whole month of Oct.'83 are the Dead at there best. The same goews for fall 84 those Augusta my top 10 favs and Hartfords and Mack Daddy BCT shows at the end Oct and Nov2 show another all time fav and sound killer here on this site.

ps I had to listen to Maybe You Know cuz of the reviews never listened to it. That was the worst Brent I ever heaqrd and Iam a huge Brent fan. Slaahhshed is what comes to mind combined with home problems. Auhh poor Brent, Iloved his playin my so much. May he rest in place.

whatever was going on inside Brents head during this night and during "Maybe You Know" i have no clue, but im diggin it. sure he was probably a little to drunk to play GREAT music, but he was doing his thing and i guess some people didnt understand or appreciate it. well fuck it and fuck you, brent had a lot going on. I mean HE WAS IN THE GRATEFUL DEAD PERFORMING IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS day in and day out which could understandably be nerve racking and stressful to have all eyes on you all the time plus whatevever other troubles life could have been throwing his way back in April of '86. i love Brent and i feel for him, i dont care if he had a bad night and sang a sub par version of his song which he is singing for you! Im listening to this show and im diggin it and especially when Jerry does his thing and goes right into GDTRFB which was probably a relief for Brent and everyone else in the theater that night.

"everybodys got there troubles to"

Okay, Brent does indeed have a bad night here. The darkness kind of overtook him and it happened in a very public way. Still, it's one night, and while "Maybe You Know" isn't a pretty moment, I've certainly heard worse shows as a whole from the notoriously spotty '83-'86 period. Download it for curiosity's sake and make up your own mind. As for Brent's professionalism, give me a break- this is the Grateful Dead we're talking about. If we're going to knock Mydland, why not bash Kieth for the late 70s shows where he was so out of it he need a roadie to poke him to stay awake? Why give Jerry a pass on his frequently embarassing and inept showings '94-'95? It's too bad we take this stuff soooooo seriously that we can't all employ the casual, shrug-it-off attitude- "it was a bad set" - the way the boys in the band did.

I really like the Drums/Keys jam, i nice break from the traditional Space. As for Maybe You Know, not musically the finest, but a great bit of history, drums and keys and the rantings of a very tormented man, he shows his soul on this one, perhaps in a drunken stupor, but a must listen to. If not the whole show, you owe it to yourself to listen to the drums/keys and maybe you know> gdtrfb(jerry saves the day)

sure it's awful...the difference is that when the K-man had an off night it wasn't as...obvious...

as least it's funny. is that wrong?

Look, the maybe you know is brutal, not that i liked that song anyway. The rest of the show is average especially since the band pulls the rip cord and ex-nays the drums and space to get mydland to bed or whatever. Honestly, it's a bad night like a lot of bad nights. If were gonna crucify brent for this night than everyone better not give a free pass to ole jer for the entire 95 tour. My 2 cents, the worst performance of a GD song was Wharf rat at NJ 95.

about this show.... it sucks. brent does not sound good. he was a little too drunk that night. everyone has there nights. i just dont feel brent ever had his. i respect him for being a member of my favorite band. i just dont find it professional to be too intoxicated to play. sorry if i offended anyone by giving my opinion at the time. next time i will censor myself. listen to this show and by god rate the thing.

Hey,
There's plenty of klunkers to go around for the members of this band. Listen to Weir's vocals on the first Picasso Moon, or the countless songs that end in total trainwrecks. And yet, Mr. Mydland has one bad night (in actuality, one bad song), and the vultures swoop in for the kill.

After brent died, I read an eulogy by a very prominent Deadhead who was at this concert, and the "Maybe you Know" was, in this persons opinion, a highlight of many shows attended (in the 100's). I am not saying I agree, but it's all about perspective.

But to say really cruel things ("He sounds like a pedophile", WTF does a pedophile sound like???) about a guy who is too dead to even defend himself is just childish. If you don't like it, move on, it's one f'in show out of thousands. give the guy a friggin break. Jesus.

what the hell is going on during this show. ill bet people were wondering why they supported the rex foundation after this performance... well, performance by brent. the night was all his. he smokes... someone put him out!!! he has to be wasted. this is the least inspiring performance ive ever heard by him. he really sounds like a monkey on the keys. his voice sounds like a pedophile. i cant think of anything else to say about him at this show other then what the hell. i dont generally love 80s shows and this performance would be one of the bigger reasons. and during the drums... yeah... i hear the voice... and im at work.

Ummm..no the single worst version of any song would be any version or Bro Esau. Maybe You Know rocks hard as a song even if this version is what some would consider disastrous but others consider cool. I wasn't there so I don't have the memories of Brent's embarrassing actions for that night. If one doesn't think Maybe you know rocks then they should probably stay away from the 80's entirely.

Has anyone else heard the weird voice or voice-like signature during the Drums Keys Jam? What is this? I donÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt think it is part of the tune or show. Was this added? Or am I tripping?

You people are unreal! Its not enough that some heads expected the band to be perfect or nearly perfect every night, I love "maybe you know" & yea, this is not one of brents best moments, but god bless him! I think he was venting and why not? he was a rockstar- he was allowed to do that.
Check out Burlington, Vt 83'

This version of Maybe You Know is perhaps the single worst performance of any song by any member of the Dead in their 30 years. However, it bears a listen for the sheer comedy of it...fortunately, Garcia picks the riff to Goin' Down the Road and leaves Mydland's abortion in the rear view mirror...5 for comedy, 4 for quality and 3 overall, cause the rest of the show ain't that bad...

I must say, this show does have some really good high-points... and brent does have some really low points... but all in all, there's some killer stuff here.. I think it must be noted, (can't believe it hasn't been yet!) that Mississippi 1/2 Step has some static, and it a wierd cut. The cut is such, that there isn't a blank spot, but rather noticeable. Don't let that stop you from downloading it, but, its not mentioned in the text file, or any posts, and i find it hard to believe i am the only one that noticed it <---- lol.

------ Download this show.

the "maybe you know" is either hilarious or very sad...he speeds up he slows down, he shouldnt even be out there at all...hes completely drunk...ten sheets to the wind, hes room spinning, puking, barfighting wasted....never seen anybody that stinking drunk on stage...his playing and singing are godawful and yet comical...its not even subtle, he must have been 3 fifths of booze into the darkness....for this mattere alone however I love this show...its brent mydland zits and all......god bless him the fucker....we all have our bad days....this is brents darkest hour on stage with the dead.....

I had just read about this show in the Long Strange Trip book. With the exception of 'Easy to Love You' I've never been a big Brent fan, but the more I've read about him, and began to understand some of the trouble he'd been through, I appreciate his work with the band alot more. Anyway, this is worse than it sounds...poor Brent. The rest of the show is pretty solid...

I am confirming what others have already wrote about Brent. It was painful to see and hear this. I still remember Jerry coming out to salvage what was left in the 2nd set followed by Phil then Bobby literally running out from backstage. After the show they had to pour Brent into the backseat of the Sausalito limo. Not really a good show to download unless you were there.

I remember the weird vibes as Brent stayed out during the drum solo and did a Maybe You Know with just him and the drummers (+ Jose Lorenzo on drums too). Jerry came out at the end of the song to try and save things and went straight into Going Down the Road and omiting the drum solo/space part. Jerry then followed with a great Morning Dew.

Though the vibes were weird at the show, this was a tape that I played again and again and loved it. Brent was definitely out of it but sometimes, being that wasted gives you a lot more soul when your singing and I loved that version of Maybe You Know. The rest of the show was fairly smoking and it didn't bother me a bit to do a show without drums and space. I usually fastforward that part on the tapes anyway.

This show is hard to listen to due to the fact that there is something very wrong with Brent. Be he wasted, tired or depressed (probably all three), his singing is very off-key all night and his playing is eratic at best. This reaches it's unbearable climax when he desides to attempt Maybe You Know, stuggling to find the chords for around 5 minutes before he starts singing, and then proceeds to ramble on while the drummers wait in vain to do their bit. It is surprising the band let Brent perform in such a bad state! Painful listening experience, collectors only.

Major League Meltdown from Brent..first "Mabye You Know" since '83....nice filler material.

the "Brent Meltdown Show"